Thou Shalt Not Kill
by Pmp2a-Trish
Summary: Young Jed and Heyes bear witness to the devastation of their families and make a decision that will change their lives forever. Warning: Dark


**Thou Shalt Not Kill**

* * *

 _Author's Note: I've always been curious as to why two hardened outlaws held such strong convictions against bloodshed and murder; this is just one of my theories as to how that came about._

* * *

 **Kansas 1863**

They weren't supposed to be away from the farm. In fact, both were pretty sure that if their ma's knew what they were doing neither would be able sit flat for a week. But the day was hot and neither had any inclination to finish the chores that they had been assigned. Both boys hated milking cows, hated feeding the chickens, heck if they were honest they really didn't care for any of the farm labor. So instead, they decided to take a trip into town. With their pas working the back nine and their mas busy getting ready for the July 4th festival, they knew they would have at least a couple of hours to get into town and back before anyone even noticed they'd gone.

As they strolled lazily down the road they laughed and joked about the typical things boys their age found funny; which on this day mainly came in the form of each other's shortcomings.

Just as they approached a bend in the road they heard the sound of a wagon approaching. Fearing it was someone that might tell their folks they'd been out; they ducked into a ravine and flattened themselves against the grassy embankment. Each boy slowly peeked from the hiding spot and saw a wagon trailed by three men on horseback. Instantly they recognized the Union soldiers from just a few days before. Less than a week had passed since the men arrived at the Heyes' doorstep asking for a room to sleep in and a few hot meals. Neither the Heyes nor Curry clan had any particular inclinations towards either side of the border war, so they politely obliged. At least until yesterday when Mr. Heyes ordered them off their land. He said something about not respecting a married lady. Neither of the boys understood what he meant, after all each of the Union men always said ma'am and was quite polite when talking to their mas. But none the less, they were gone in short order.

As the men rode out of sight, the boys stood and brushed off the dirt that now caked the front sides of their pants. The brown haired child cocked his head to the side. "I wonder why they're back."

"Maybe they forgot something at your house?"

"Maybe." With a shrug, they continued their walk into town, quickly forgetting all about the men.

Once in town, they made their way towards Jackson's General Store, careful not to be seen by anyone that might report their whereabouts. Inside, Heyes made quick work of beginning a conversation with Jackson's nephew, Jerry. Jerry was a young kid, barely tall enough to see over the counter, let alone run the register. But he loved to talk horses. It wasn't a subject that Heyes was real keen to talk about, but knew just enough to distract Jerry while Jed relieved the store of a handful of penny candy. After receiving the nod from his friend, he turned back to the young worker, "You know Jerry, you never disappoint me. But I still think my pa's mare is going to win top prize this year."

"You willin' to lay a little money down on that?"

"Oh, no. Not against someone that knows as much about horses as you do Jerry. Maybe next year, after I read up a little more on those Thoroughbreds. Bye." Jumping down from the stool he was sitting on, he quickly grabbed his friend as they made their way out of the store.

Once around the back of the building, Jed pulled out of his pocket a handful of treats. "Why didn't you take him up on the bet? You know your pa's mare is the fastest around."

"Because I saw old man Jackson coming up the road with Sheriff Wickline and you remember what he said the last time he caught us in his store."

"Yeah, I remember." Jed nervously laughed as he recalled the old man threatening to tan both their hides in the middle of the square if they ever stepped foot in his establishment again. The boys had yet to be caught red handed, but old man Jackson knew better and made no attempt to hide his true feelings towards the boys. Luckily for the boys, Heyes' quick wit and silver tongue had always managed to talk their way around any the old man's accusations.

* * *

As they neared their parents' farm, they quickly planned their alibi, just in case they had been discovered missing. It was decided that a stray cat would be the tale. They'd say they saw a tabby get chased off by the dog and they gave chase as well. It would have taken them a good hour to pull that tabby from the tree it would have climbed.

As they argued over which dog to pin the blame on, they heard the gunshots.

With a look between them, they bolted. Running faster than their feet could take them, they tripped every few steps, desperate to get home. Desperate to get to the loved ones they instinctively knew were in danger.

As they ran, each catalogued who in their family was where. Their fathers and Heyes' brother were in the fields, but would have been close enough to hear the gunshots; they would respond. Jed's ma and little sister were supposed to be with Mrs. Heyes working on pies, each boy feared they were the ones in danger.

The last quarter mile to the Heyes' home felt like an eternity. Their hearts pounded as they pushed on, begging and praying that they would be able to get there in time.

As they rounded the bend, Heyes' grabbed Jed's arm and threw him to the ground behind a bush.

"We got to get in there." Kid yelled as he tried to get away from Heyes' grip.

"We can't just bludgeon' in there. We gotta think first."

"To hell with thinkin', my ma is in there." Jed tried to stand but with a forceful tug Heyes pulled him back to his knees.

"Don't you know anything; first you gotta assess the situation then come up with a plan." Slowly, he peered around the bush he knelt behind. The white colonial house sat less than fifty feet away. Behind it and just to the left was the barn. In front of the house was the Union wagon plus three horses tied to the hitching post. Scanning the area, they saw three horses walking loose. Both boys immediately recognized them as their fathers' and Heyes' brother's. The house looked intact, except for the front entrance. The large oak door was taken off its hinges, rammed into by something or someone. "Let's go around back. Stay out of sight."

As they stood, they heard gunfire again and a scream. As they looked at each other, there was no question whose voice they heard. Jed opened his mouth to yell, "Ma…"

Quick as a whip snake, Heyes pulled his young friend down, his hand covering his mouth. "You want us to get shot next?"

Jed struggled to break free.

Heyes whispered desperately, "Damnit Jed, just stop."

After a moment, the blond child settled, his breath heaving as the horrors of what was occurring flowed through his mind.

Once quieted, they stood again and darted between trees and bushes as they made their way towards the house.

As they peered from around the barn, they saw the body of Heyes' brother, a bullet hole still bleeding from his chest. "Joshua…" Heyes said in barely a whisper. Tears stung his eyes as fear gripped his chest.

Looking up at the house, they saw the men through the back windows. They could only see three of the five men, but they could hear loud voices.

"You son of a…" It was Heyes' father, quickly cut off by the firing of a revolver. Stumbling, the man came out the back stairs, clutching his chest as he fell to the ground just below the back window. Inside, they heard the laughter of the men.

Throwing caution to the wind, the boys ran to the fallen man. "Pa…"

The dark haired man looked up at his son, a tear quickly coming to his eyes. "Get out of here boys. Go… get… the Sheriff."

Each child watched as his chest rose and fell one last time.

Two more shots and the boys grew rigid; waiting for the blinding pain they knew would follow.

"Now, that would be considered not respectin' a married lady." Another round of laughter erupted. "Where's Henry?"

"He's still upstairs with the feisty one."

"Hell, I'm done here. Hey, Henry!" The man yelled. "We're headin' out. You come on back when you're done."

"What about the other boys, the little ones?" Another man asked.

Heyes and Jed froze.

"Ah, let Henry take care of 'em if they show up. C'mon."

Jed quickly pulled the revolver from Mr. Heyes' gun belt, pointing towards the door just to his right. After a moment, they heard the men get on their horses and leave. As the sound of the wagon dissipated, Heyes ran to the body of his brother, quickly arming himself as well. Opening both revolvers, they checked to see them both fully loaded.

With silent communication, they made their way into the house. As they entered the back door, they stumbled, looking down they saw another body. Silently rolling him over, the blue eyes of Jed' father stared vacantly up at them. Swallowing the emotions that threatened to overtake them, they gently closed the man's eyes and proceeded into the house. Through the kitchen they walked, quietly creeping. Looking around the doorframe into the living room, they saw two more bodies. It was the body of a young child and a grown woman.

"Mamma!" Kid pushed around his friend. But in that moment, the thundering of footfalls came from the stairs. Heyes once again grabbed his friend and pulled him to safety. They listened as the footsteps went further away. Coming out of their hiding spot, they ran to the two women.

Heyes brushed aside the long blonde hair that covered the young girl's face. He placed his ear to her chest, silently willing for a sound, any sound, but found none. Looking up at his young friend, he shook his head.

Jed took his mother's hand in his. The skin was still warm to the touch, even as the blood continued to spread on the rug beneath her. "Mamma…" He cried.

Knowing he could do nothing more to help, Heyes ran up the stairs, searching for answers to the fate of his own mother.

Jed wasn't sure how long he sat there, and didn't even jump when he felt the hand of his friend on his shoulder.

"There's nothing we can do for them." Heyes stated matter of factly. Looking up, he noticed the last horse was still tethered to the hitching rail in front of the house. With Jed just behind him, they walked out, ready to confront at least one of the men that had just destroyed their lives.

Outside, they looked around. The sun was just beginning to set and a calming breeze was flowing through the air.

Jed pulled on Heyes' arm as he spotted the object of their desire. Leaning over the well, the Union man stood, splashing water upon his face. Anger welled in their stomachs like an uncontrollable beast that yearned for release. The man's attention, however, was elsewhere and he didn't hear the boys approaching until each child pulled back the hammer of the guns they were carrying.

The man turned at the sound of the pistols. Behind him stood the two boys, each with pistol in hand. He had faced down a field full of Rebs, but nothing scared him as much as the vacant look in the eyes of the boys.

He tried to stand tall and commanding. "All right boys, hand over the pistols, wouldn't want nobody to get hurt."

"Too late for that." The dark haired one said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Look, my friends will be back any minute now." The boys continued to advance, each pistol going from his chest, to his head. His own pistol rested on the side of the well, too far away for him to reach. "Now boys, don't do anything you might regret."

"Don't worry, we won't." He heard from the blond boy, just before he saw the flashes of light and then nothing but darkness.

Neither knew which bullet had missed and which one had found its mark. The weapons dropped to their sides as they approach the still man. A moment passed, then two. Turning away from each other, both ran to the bushes and became sick; piercing the evening with sounds that would haunt them for years. When they had nothing else to give, each collapsed to the ground, heaving heavy sobs, neither looking at the other out of both fear and shame.

The night passed, cold and wet. But still, neither child sought shelter, instead they huddled inward, yearning for a warmth that both knew would never come.

* * *

It was early daylight when they heard the horse's hooves beating upon the dirt road. Frightened once again, they looked up and saw the Sheriff coming down the drive. As the man saw the condition of the boys, he sped up his horse and jumped down as soon as he neared them.

Looking back from the dead officer to the boys, he asked. "Hannibal, Jed. What happened?"

Heyes pointed to the officer. "Union. Five of them, killed everyone." Heyes' voice cracked and he could not lift his eyes to meet that of the law.

"And who killed him?" The boys shared a shameful look then continued to stare at the ground.

* * *

The next few days went by as a blur for Heyes and Jed. Funeral arrangements were made through the church. Jed's older sister was contacted and telegraphed back that she and her husband would arrive in time for the burial. The boys stayed with the Sheriff for the few days in between.

The morning of the funeral, they sat in their borrowed bedroom, each staring out at the cloudless sky. Both determined to not let their emotions overwhelm them. Breaking the silence, Jed spoke, "I guess Jenny will let me stay with her, you too I bet. Her and Tommy live in St. Louis now."

"Jenny never liked me; always said I was up to no good."

Jed tried to smile. "She was usually right; she was the only one that ever could see through you."

Heyes gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Yeah, her and my ma…" His voice broke off.

"Yeah."

"It's our fault."

"How do you figure?"

"If we hadn't gone to Jackson's… we coulda done something, we coulda stopped them."

Jed shook his head, "No, if we'd been there, they would've killed us too."

"No, they'd been out numbered… Ma told us that if we kept goin' to Jackson's, something bad would happen. Said, when you play with fire, you'll eventually get burned. What we were doin' was a sin, just like that book says. We should'a stayed home, should'a been doin' our chores."

"This ain't our fault, we didn't do this, we didn't kill them."

"Jed, we knew what we were doing was wrong, but we did it anyway!"

"This ain't our fault, take it back!"

Heyes turned away, refusing to let his friend absolve him of the guilt.

Each child turned their own way, still too upset to face the one truth that hung in the air like a dense fog.

* * *

"What do you mean you won't take me?" Jed yelled at his older sister as they stood toe to toe on the porch of the Sheriff's house. The funeral had been brief and now Jenny and her husband, along with the Sheriff broke the news to the boys; they would be going to Valparasio Home for Wayward boys.

Jenny cried. "Jed, I just can't. Tommy and I are expecting a baby next spring. We just can't handle a baby, plus you and Hannibal. Especially not after…"

"What does that mean? Tell me!"

Heyes stepped in, "Jenny, you don't have to take me. But take Jed."

"Answer me!" Jed yelled again.

A look passed between the Sheriff and Jenny. It was then that both boys knew what she meant. A cold as sharp as a knife pierced their souls. Quieter, Jed asked. "It's about what we did, isn't it?"

Jenny knelt down, getting eye level with her younger brother. "Tommy and I hate guns; we always have. You know that. But, we talked it over with Sheriff Wickline. We agreed that Valparasio would be good for you. It's one of the best orphanages in the state for troubled boys. The sisters there will help you. Make sure you never do anything like that again."

"He killed our ma! He killed everyone, he would have killed us!"

"He was unarmed, right? One of you could have tied him up and taken him to the Sheriff. He could have faced justice." Jed hung his head in shame. "You didn't have the right to kill him."

Jenny stood, and taking the hand of her husband, walked towards their carriage. Turning, she wiped the tears that were streaming down her face. "I'll stay in touch. I'll visit as often as I can."

"Don't bother." Kid seethed.

* * *

 **One Year Later**

Heyes and Kid sat on a branch overlooking the play yard at the home. Heyes leaned against the thick trunk with book in hand, silently drawing the floor plan of the school, most especially the entrances and exits, making note of the vulnerabilities.

"Heyes, you ever think about it?"

"About what?"

"About what happened, what we did?"

"I try my best not to."

"At night, when I'm dreamin', I still see his face, right after we..."

"Me too." Heyes sucked in his breath as he drew a little harder; hoping the images of the school would replace the ones flooding his mind.

"Do you think that happens to everyone that does it? You think they all still see 'em?'

"Nope."

"Then why are we so lucky?" He asked sarcastically.

In frustration, Heyes put down his book, resigned to the fact that he was not going to be able to escape the conversation easily. "Here's how I see it. If everyone that took another life felt as bad as we do, then they wouldn't do it again. But instead there are people out there, everyday that just keep on killin' folks."

"Yeah, well, I don't ever want to do that again. I don't care what happens."

"I'm right there with you partner. And that's what makes us different from them. That's why we don't belong in here. And that's why I've figured a way to get us out."

With a triumphant grin, Heyes turned over the pad of paper to show Kid his newest creation.

With a broad smile, Kid laughed, "Heyes, you're a genius."


End file.
